Recent trend of chemotherapy for infective endocarditis in Japan

Out of the 10 patients with infective endocarditis (IE) at Kawasaki Municipal Hospital, 8 had IE due to streptococcus viridans. Out of 8 patients with streptococcus IE, 6 were successfully treated with benzyl penicillin alone or in combination with kanamycin. One patient was cured with cephaloridine. Two hundred and thirty IE patients admitted to hospitals at Kantou District were also studied. Ninety nine of 116 patients with streptococcus viridans IE were successfully treated with potentially active in vitro against streptococcus viridans. Out of 16 staphylococcus IE patients, 11 patients died. Eight patients died within 8 days from the beginning of the antibiotic administration. Out of 7 enterococcal IE patients, 5 were successfully treated with ampicillin alone or in combination with aminoglycosides. Forty three patients were diagnosed as IE despite negative blood culture. The echo cardiogram showed 23 patients had vegetation. Benzyl penicillin was given to 28 patients and 23 were cured. Out of 9 patients with culture negative IE treated with ampicillin, 8 were cured. Four patients were successfully treated with cephems.